


Stiles and his big mouth

by Helloloveyes



Category: Sterek - Fandom, Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-27
Updated: 2016-04-27
Packaged: 2018-06-04 21:07:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6675481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Helloloveyes/pseuds/Helloloveyes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles gets hit by a curse and only true love kiss can break it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stiles and his big mouth

**Author's Note:**

> I blame Once Upon A Time for this....
> 
> Thanks to the AWESOME and lovely Jana (janarumpandrcjawnn) for all her help. You can find her here: spice-and-raging-kittens.tumblr.com
> 
> Writing in any language is not easy most of the time, to put your thoughts out there, but then you find lovely people, like Jana and bumpkin, that are willing to give a chance to whatever you create and help you in the right path of grammar and put their time without expecting anything in return... it´s amazing and I can´t thank you enough.
> 
> Jana you made this short fic so much better <3 I owe you <3

_Stiles and his big mouth._

It wasn´t the first time Derek found himself thinking about it.

_Seriously there is something very wrong with him._

Derek pushed harder, felt his muscles ripping because of the pressure, but he needed to do _something_.

They'd gotten smug, that's the only explanation. They were winning, the black fairy almost defeated, when suddenly the earth opened up and swallowed most of the pack. Derek was buried from his chest down, couldn't move, was completely defenseless.

As the creature was coming to finish him off, Stiles, who of course was the only one still standing, threw a molotov at the thing. Derek heard the painful screeches and for one moment he dared to hope it was over... But the fairy didn't agree. It turned around and sent a curse at Stiles, black fire shooting through the air. And that's why Derek was recklessly dragging himself out, even if his body was tearing apart.

He was almost completely free and wasn't the only one doing his best to help their human when one of the fairy’s curses hit Stiles in the chest. For a moment a horrific silence fell upon the pack as every were, kitsune and chimera listened to the hollow quietness Stiles’ heart left when it stopped beating.

Derek roared, now desperately struggling to get out. He heard Scott’s alpha call and tried to block the elated sneer the fairy sent in response.

The thing was almost finished.  

_Why? Why Stiles?_

It took him some more time but finally he managed to free himself, anger giving him the strength. His torn flesh and broken bones already healing.

_Why the human out of all of us? Why not me instead?_

He was going to sprint over to the creature and rip it apart, but froze the moment he heard Stiles gasp for air, a desperate little sound. He stared in disbelief and couldn't understand the rabbit-y tap the human’s heart was emitting.

_Impossible…_

“Where am I? What-?” Derek stared in astonishment as Stiles looked around in confusion until he spotted the creature. "What have you done?”

The creature squealed in mad delight.

“Enjoy the burden.” Were its last words before it drop dead, the burnt shape quickly being circled by the pack, but he was more concerned with Stiles´ aura of pure agony.

\--

Derek had seen Stiles laugh, scream in pain, blush in embarrassment, run away in terror, suffer a panic attack, he'd even seen the human in deathly stillness and empty eyes when he was possessed by the demon fox. He'd found a different Stiles when he came back to Beacon Hills a couple of months ago, but he had never seen him like this, and apparently neither had the rest of the pack.

Stiles was….If Derek hadn't known him he would have said he was mourning. 

 But no one had died after Allison, they'd  managed that miracle so far.

He locked his jaw as his muscles continued to stick back together, skin sealing and bones cracking in place, never complaining. In the past he didn't because he thought he deserved the pain, now it was a habit more than anything.

He watched in silence as Scott stepped closer to his friend.

“Stiles?” the Alpha called with a worried expression.

The human turned around with glassy eyes, looking hysterical. He stopped half a second in every member of the pack and then his gaze moved again until it found Derek’s.

For some reason Derek’s breath got caught on his throat.

Stiles looked wrecked, eyes fixed on him, and Derek listened confused when he heard the boy’s heartbeat go wild. _Is he afraid of me?_

But the wolf didn't smell fear, not yet at least. He did smell the pack’s worry and understood the confusion, though.

“Stiles.” Scott called again, and this time the human acknowledged him. He let the alpha help him up to a standing position but everyone could see how close to crumbling he was.

“We need to clean this.” Hayden murmured gesturing around, and Scott nodded his agreement while carrying Stiles to the car.  “If we don´t, it is possible Parrish will lose his consciousness and let the hellhound take control to run up here and clean the mess before any human can find it.” She explained to the rest.

_This young chimera is smart._

Derek helped in silence while Hayden and Liam did most of the job.

“You think Corey is ok?” The boy asked to no one in particular.

“Mason and Lydia are helping him, and I’m sure Jordan is not letting anything get close to them.” Malia answered.

“To Lydia, you mean.” Hayden murmured.

Malia just shrugged. “Works all the same.”

Once the evidence was cleared, Derek ran with the other three back to the city. Malia called Scott on the way, and he told them Deaton had seen to Stiles, but apparently everything was ok.

Liam and Hayden turned to the station and Malia said goodbye near her house. Derek kept running, though, and not to his place. 

 _I'm just making sure._  He thought to himself. _Checking._

He saw the police car on the drive way and guessed the Sheriff was back at home, so sneaked to the back yard and then climbed up the wall till the first floor. He didn't use to knock before bursting in, never had, but now he'd gained a little more limits and boundaries, so he got to the roof and stayed still.

Derek focused on the familiar thump, on the sound of Stiles rolling over his bed, he could almost see it. _He is not sleeping tonight, not after what happened._ That was a given. Even if he never admitted it or showed it, Derek had gotten to know Stiles through the years.

He settled in a more comfortable position and gazed at the clear sky, the moon shining on top as the ruler of the night, stars sparkling and keeping him company. Between shuffles and muffled cries a few words escaped the young boy, making Derek even more restless.

__

_What am I supposed to do now?_

__

\--

Derek was beyond worried.

They were all on edge as the repercussions of the curse just l ladidn´t show. He followed Stiles around, watching from afar just in case, but the human never told anyone what happened to him or showed any sign of _anything._ Stiles was sad, smelt to angst most of the time, wasn't eating properly or talking enough, but those were symptoms of emotional distress.

Derek decided that it didn't matter what it took, he was going to help.

Friday morning, after doing some precarious research, he called Scott. Derek advised him to be extra careful because he was going to leave town for a while, hopefully for just one or two days.

After he had permission- _Wait no, I´m not asking permission._ Scott wasn't his alpha. Derek shook his head in denial, then closed the loft and drove away.

\--

It wasn't really that far. The place he was looking for appeared in an old family book, one of the few that had survived the fire. He turned into his wolf form, leaving the car behind, and ran across the territory until he found the scent of magic. After that it was all about following his nose, and by night time he had found them.

A small hidden village of _fairies._

It wasn´t a surprise when he found two guards waiting for him. They stopped their wings and landed on the ground soundlessly. When they didn´t point their spears at him, Derek took it as a welcoming gesture.

He kept glancing around, preparing for an ambush, but all he saw were shy and curious faces hiding around, sneaking peeks at him from behind trees, rocks, and what looked like little cabins.

“Welcome, visitor,” a female fairy greeted him. “I am Cerss.” She looked young, had brown skin, orange hair and dressed with flowers. He also noticed the big transparent wings on her back. “It would be better if you changed to your human form,” she advised.

Derek agreed reluctantly.

As soon as he found himself naked in the spotlight one of the guards gave him something to cover. The fabric was softer than silk and lighter than anything he'd ever worn.

“What brought you to our home?” The fairy asked.

“My pack was attacked by one of your kind,” he saw horror invade Cerss for a moment, and then guilt. “I came here to ask why and if possible find aid to repair the damage it caused.”

The fairy gestured in silence, and the guards stepped back, then flew away.

“Our people has been suffering from a disease for the last millennium.” She started walking, and Derek followed her. “Every once in a couple of years the illness becomes too strong, making the victims suffer physical changes.” They were now circling a pond, fireflies illuminating their path. “The skin loses color and becomes thicker, nails change to claws and the heart dies, consumed by darkness. All that can feed the new creature is pain, so they go around inflicting curses over good hearts.”

They stopped in front of a big polished rock. It was covered in moss, but Derek could still see the symbols carved on it, some really old, others new.

“Another fallen sibling.” She was sad looking at what Derek guessed were names of those consumed by the illness.

“You haven't found a cure?”

She stared at him as if he was a naive child.

“There is no cure for darkness except light. Our race is connected to nature. Humans have neglected the world so much that we have to suffer from it. We fight against the illness as best as we can but… it's getting harder and harder every passing year.”

Derek had heard about this from his mother once. She'd told them that many supernatural creatures suffered from human´s careless actions.

“One of the members of our pack was attacked. _His_ heart stopped for a few minutes but then he came back to life. We don't know what happened.”

“He hasn’t shared with you?” The fairy guessed, and Derek shook his head. “I'm afraid he was given one of the most heart breaking curses.” He waited in silence. “You say he died, but actually his soul left this reality. You say it were minutes when for him were hours, days, months, even years.” Derek was confused, and this sounded worse and worse by the second. “He was sent to another reality where he found absolute bliss. He was forced to accept it and enjoy the taste of it.” _That doesn't sound so bad_? “Only to be brought back here, where that joy is non-existent.”

_Nonexistent joy._

He wasn't as fast as Stiles in understanding things. Derek blinked in confusion while the words started to make sense in his head. Stiles had gone to his version of heaven only to be brought back to hell. Derek thought about how it’d feel for him if he could see his family again, if he could talk to Erica and Boyd and ask for their forgiveness. Be with all of them for a few days only to lose them all over again.

It would kill him. He’d be devastated, wreaked. Wouldn't know how to keep living after that.

The fairy stepped away, leaving him alone with his feelings. Confusion, pain, and a dreadful feeling of futility, mixed with a strange wave of unease coming from his chest. After a while he walked up to Cerss.

“Is there anything I can do to help him?” He practically pleaded. “There must be something to stop the pain or take it away from him.”

The fairy stared at him, scrutinizing. “Would you do that? Would you take his burden and suffer instead of him?” She asked, curious.

“Yes,” he grunted. Derek had a messed up life, consequence of shitty decisions. He'd had his chances of happiness and blew them over and over. He'd lost his family and pack not once, but twice. Stiles was young, and if he could still be saved then… “I’ll do it _.”_

He had accepted his fate in the past year, found inner peace. He could take this off of Stiles, he was used to that after all.

The fairy stared for a while longer, then gestured for another fairy to come closer.

“I need to prepare a few things; Eileen here will escort you to a room. Sleep tight, you’ll need it.” She then flew away.

Derek followed the pink-haired fairy to a door carved on a tree, a part of the trunk. Inside, a stair took him down to a cozy looking bed, there were a few fireflies dancing on the roof where you could see the roots.

“Here is a tea that will help you sleep.” Eileen said, giving him a bottle.

He had too many trust issues to drink that. Eileen seemed to read his thoughts, because she opened the bottled, took a sip and waited.

“Not dead. Just sleepy,” she commented. Derek huffed, then took the bottle and drank after all.

A few seconds later he was resting in the most comfortable bed ever. He had a weird dream, which he blamed on the “tea”, random scenes flashing with no visible order.

Stiles was there, smiling, and John Stilinski looked happy. The gardens where he was seated at smelt like Home, Pack, and he could hear the laugh of children close by. He saw a bunch of curly black hair bouncing on his peripheral vision and thought of Laura as a child.

\--

It was still night time when Derek woke up.

He walked out of the tree-room and saw Cerss coming towards him. She looked older, tired.

“Sadly there is no way to undo the curse. Your esteemed one is going to have to deal with the knowledge and pain that comes with the memories and hopes that may never happen here.” Derek felt disappointed. “But take this,” she gave him a glass bottle. The liquid inside was glowing gold. “It will help his heart to heal a little faster. A spoon every morning and every night before going to sleep. It’ll help with the nightmares and provide better rest. Apart from that, you are the one that can do something for him.”

“Me? What can I do?”

“What you are already doing. You came here to find us for a reason, you have volunteered to take his place to suffer and endure the heart wrecking curse. If you love this person like you have shown so far then maybe there is a chance for him to find what he needs to break the curse.”

Derek was very uncomfortable by the use of the **L** word. But this was a fairy, they were different than werewolves. Maybe they called a pack bond Love.

“I'm sorry. That is all I can do,” she apologized.

“It's not your fault,” he found himself saying and that startled him. He wasn't normally this open. “If you want to look for the remains of your… uhm,” he didn't know how to call it, he didn't even know why he was still talking and offering that.

“You buried my sibling?” The fairy clasped a hand over her mouth, pensive. “I thank you in their behalf. And if your alpha agrees, then Eiren would go with you.”

Derek could smell the salty water, _tears_. It wasn't as if they'd actually buried it because they were thoughtful, but now he was thankful they had.

“He will, Scott is very kind.”

Again with the honesty. Derek was going to start to worry about it if he couldn’t shake it off.

He waited for Eiren. The fairy looked just like Eileen, green skin with grey rocks incrusted in the expanse of skin, blue transparent wings, only his hair was straight instead of wavy.

“I can take that for you, if you'd like.”

Derek gave him the bottle and thanked the fairies again before taking the cloth off and shifting back to wolf form. He ran through the woods seeing sun beams find their way throughout the leaves and falling to the ground where the flowers expected them. His nose could catch the different fragrances dancing in the air and sense the animals leaving their hiding to look for food.

Once he reached his car he put his clothes on again. Eiren came down to earth looking at him funny.

“You are fast.” The fairy said.

“Thank you.” Since when did Derek thank people when they complemented him? “Is it possible for you to… hide your wings to fit in the car?” He asked, doubtful.

Eiren looked at him again up and down, and then his stone engraved skin changed to brown human skin. He was shorter than Derek, and slender. His wings indeed disappeared and his hair was just like Derek's, only still pink.

“Here.” Derek gave him a t-shirt and jeans. “So you are a male?” He had to ask.

“Now I am. Most of us don’t have genders like humans do.”

“I read something about it, wanted to make sure. If I say something that offends you in any way, please tell me.”

Derek frowned, that still didn't sound like him. Respect, yes. Consideration? Hell no. Not after losing Laura at least, he'd been so focused on his own pain and loss he didn't care about others. He'd changed for the better, but still, using so many words was out of character.

“It's our influence.” Eiren said. “It’ll pass.”

Derek relaxed before tensing again. “You can read my thoughts?”

“Sense. Just a little.” The fairy gave him an experimental shrug.

They got into the car and he drove them to Beacon Hills. In the way Derek texted Scott, explaining he had company but only for a day.

Scott called them once they arrived, and told him Stiles had been just as depressed as before, had spent all Friday in bed, and Saturday morning too.

“I'm going to see him now.” The alpha said.

“I think I found something that can help, but it's not much.”

“Anything is welcome, Derek.” He heard a crack on the other side of the line, the unmistakable sound of a fist punching a wall. Derek knew it very well. “At least you tried.”

Scott was losing it, and Derek understood.

Soon they arrived home. He walked out of his car and showed Eiren the way to the loft.

“We can go to look for the remains-” He cut midsentence when the smell of Stiles welcomed him.

After a moment of conflicted inner stuff that Derek was not labeling he pointed the sofa to Eiren, who silently sat down. Derek walked up the stairs to his bedroom and found Stiles drying his hair.

“Derek.” The human startled. “I thought… Scott said you were gone,  so.” Stiles looked everywhere but at him.

“I came back,” he grunted, like the idiot he was.

“I see that.” Stiles weakly snapped back.

The only sound in the room after that was the loud beating of Stiles heart.

“I´m sorry for-” “you don’t have to-” Both started at the same time. Derek was feeling nervous and that was not good.

“I don’t mind, Stiles.” The amber eyes finally flickered to his face, but there was no response. “I’m going downstairs. We have a visitor.”

Turning around, Derek clutched at his chest. Why was he having trouble relaxing? His heart was acting strange, his breathing was shallow, his hands sweaty, that same uneasy feeling he started to have in the fairy village had grown.

“Is this your influence too?” He asked Eiren while heading to the kitchen, but he fairy didn't answer. Maybe he just needed food.

When Stiles came down Derek had a cup of coffee waiting for him as well. The human smiled sadly and Derek's humor sunk down even lower. Why was he being nice? And why being nice was making Stiles even more miserable?

He smelt miserable, as if being near Derek pained him. 

_But if that is true, then why is he here?_

“I know” Eiren said out of the blue.

Stiles looked surprised at the visitor, focusing on his pink hair.

“Hi there.”

“Stiles, this is Eiren. Eiren would you care to explain Stiles what happened to your sibling and why are you here?”

 _Again. Being nice._ He was even getting used to it.

Stiles listened to the explanation a little restless, shifting glances towards Derek every now and again, worrying his bottom lip and bumping his leg rhythmically up and down. Derek guessed he didn't like fairies in general now, and no one could blame him for it.

“What I don’t understand is… why did you go to look for them?” Stiles asked.

Derek extended his hand, and Eiren just knew to give him the bottle.

“I asked them for aid but this is all I managed to get.” He admitted, feeling like a loser. “They told me it would help a little…”

“One spoon in the morning and one before going to sleep.” Eiren repeated Cerss' indications.

“It's not much but-”

Stiles hand landed on his. Derek was stunned by the touch.

“Thank you.” Stiles voice was full of emotion, and it became hard for Derek to swallow. His heart's thrumming was ear-piercing.

“I just wish I could do more.”

Stiles eyes recovered a little of their earnest light before looking at the bottle.

Derek’s phone suddenly went off, breaking the moment, and he couldn´t be more thankful. His head was having thoughts _he needed to bury._

“It's Scott,” he said, standing up and walking to the kitchen to answer.

“He is gone! I can’t find him.” The Alpha roared in his ear. “John had the night shift so I'm not even sure where he spent the night! I should have listened to you Derek, not take my eyes out of him!” Scott sounded beyond frustrated.

“Stiles is here, Scott. Calm down.”

“What? Really??” He sighed, a tad relieved. “We are going to the loft to kill him.”

After he hang up, Derek couldn’t help to listen the conversation on the other room and froze.

“...he said that?” Stiles asked, sounding dumbfounded.

 _What… what was Eiren telling Stiles_?  Derek was concerned. He went back to the couch and told them the pack was coming, interrupting whatever was to be said.

“It wasn't my intention to worry them, but they were getting on my nerves. You should give them some classes on to how stalk people,” the human complained, and Derek just raised his eyebrows at him. “At least when you follow me around you keep a safe distance.”

He felt the tips of his ears burn in embarrassment.

“You knew?”

Stiles rolled his eyes and for a moment Derek was optimistic. Maybe they could get through this. Stiles then made a few questions to Eiren, and even recorded part of his answers.

“For the beastiary.” he explained.

Scott soon arrived with Kira, Malia, Liam and Lydia. They brought food and lectured Stiles for worrying them.

They were also fascinated with Eiren. Malia was especially sniffy, Lydia questioned why Eiren couldn’t eat any of the food but the berries he brought. The conversation revolved around the visitor and Derek tried to not let anyone notice his odd behavior.

There were a lot of new troublesome things he noticed, like how conscious he was of Stiles warmth next to him, how his eyes insistently found his way to the mole dotted skin, how expectant he was of hearing Stiles´ opinion or smart observations. Derek could write a list of every change between the sixteen-year-old boy he'd met two years ago and the Stiles he had next to him now, and that didn't even faze him anymore.

After dinner, Eiren said goodbye and Derek took him to where the remains of the dark fairy were.

It didn't take much. Eiren put an urn on the ground and sang some words in another language, making the remains fly magically inside it so he could seal them.

“I thank you again for this.” The fairy said, leaving his human look and getting back to his true self.

“You heard my alpha. You're welcome anytime.”

The words scaped before he could actually think about them. _My alpha??_ _Since when Scott is my alpha??_ Eiren just smiled.

“Don't worry. it wears off”

“What is it?” He growled in frustration.

“Your true feelings.” The fairy unfolded his wings and started to fly centimeters away from the ground. “Your barriers are lower, and your mouth speaks from the heart unable to lie. But it’ll wear off, if that’s what you are worried about.”

“True feelings?” He whispered, confused. “You are telling me that this is what I really think?”

“We fairies cannot lie, Derek Hale. And being around us changes you from the inside out, you must have felt it.”

He thought about it, the unease coming from the inside the night before when he was talking with Cerss. Only now it wasn´t unease at all, it felt as if a burden had been lifted.

“Good bye.” Eiren flew around him. “I hope we see each other again,” he said before leaving. Its long pink hair was the last thing that Derek saw in the distance.

\--

He couldn’t go back just yet, so he decided to run off that true-feelings-magic during an hour before getting back to the loft.

Once back at his place there was only silence, so he assumed everyone had left until a familiar thrum caught his attention. Stiles was sitting with his knees up, hands bracing his feet on the couch, staring at the glass bottle with the golden shiny liquid.

Derek sat next to him and saw red cheeks before Stiles buried his face in his knees.

“Dad has the night shift again and… I was wondering…”

Derek sunk on the couch resting his weigh against Stiles. That was enough for the young guy to understand, “you can stay.”

\--

Derek was so tired.

The sound of the TV faded slowly, his eyelids were heavy, the familiar scent of pack invaded his nose. He was halfway to dream land when Stiles' long fingers shook him.

"You should go to bed."

Derek nodded half asleep, stretching his arms over his head, then looked at the bottle still in Stiles' hands. "You'll need a spoon for that."

When he came back from the kitchen he saw Stiles holding his pillow and spare sheets over the couch.

“You are not sleeping here,” he frowned.

Stiles looked confused and affronted.

“But you said-”

“I mean on the couch.” Everyone complained about how uncomfortable it was after a few hours. 

Derek took the bottle and walked to his room. A few minutes later a hesitant Stiles walked in, still holding his pillow close to his chest. Derek was already resting on his side of the bed, waiting.

The bottle and spoon were on the nightstand on the other side so Stiles had no choice but to come closer to take it. In the end the human placed his pillow on the bed, swallowed a spoon of the golden liquid and took position next to Derek.

 

Awkward was an understatement, but slowly he felt Stiles´ body tension lessen against the mattress, his breathing smooth, probably as a result of the medicine. Soon Derek was sleeping too.

It was around three or four a.m. when he woke up startled. Derek looked at Stiles next to him moving restlessly, his heart jumping, his face tense.

“Stiles?” He whispered, uncertain, but the human didn´t listen, lost in his nightmare. Derek was at a loss, what could he do? Was waking him up a good idea or should he do something else?

 

Trying not to overthink it – because that was Stiles' job, not his- Derek reached out for him, using his arm to drag the body closer.

 

He was angry when he realized he could take away Stiles´ pain, the veins blackening up his forearm, not because it was a bother, but because that meant Stiles had been physically suffering all this time without him knowing.

 

And that was not ok, not to him.

 

Derek´s arm tightened around Stiles' waist, his chest plastered against the boy's back. Gradually their breathings evened out and Stiles relaxed against him.

 

Time passed and Derek was glad to see the human sleeping in peace with his mouth hanging open. _How endearing._

 

The thought didn´t make him happy at all. He shook his head. He couldn´t think of Stiles as appealing in any way. _I can´t._

 

A small part of his brain asked why. _Because everything I love dies._ And wasn´t that just a slap in the face? The L word shouldn’t be related to Stiles in any way for Derek.

 

_Shit._

\--

 

Derek woke up when Stiles moved away from him, his body automatically seeking more contact until the moment his brain regain some control.

 

Reaching for his phone ever the nightstand, he sighed. It was barely eight in the morning.

After questioning his life for fifteen more minutes he decided to _stop thinking_. Derek was more of the physical type, he needed to move, do things.

 

He went for a short run to spend some of his energy, came back, had a shower and made breakfast. Derek didn´t question his actions until he was flipping a chocolate chip pancake.

 

 _I know how Stiles drinks his coffee…_ Derek had learnt it on an unconscious level during the intense research sessions on the early days of their colab. And then never forgot.

The change in Stiles heartbeat´ rhythm told him the human was awake, and Derek waited patiently, recognizing the sounds of a morning routine.

 

When the Sheriff called Derek had the decency to put on some music to give them privacy, and by the time Stiles entered the kitchen there was a hot mug of coffee ready for him.

 

“Good morning.” Stiles said, taking his place in the only chair available. Derek made a mental note to finally allow Lydia to go shopping for furniture. The couch had bumps, the tables had scratches, and the chairs had disappeared leaving only one. Derek was surprised to have the loft still standing after all the fights and general maiming that it had suffered.

 

“Dad called. I have to go home now but… he has the night shift the whole week and uhm… I was wondering-”

 

Derek put the last pancake on Stiles plate. “You have a key, Stiles. You can come here whenever you want.”

 

The _I want you to_ was implicit. Hopefully the barely over age young man wouldn´t notice.

 

“These are amazing, Derek.” Stiles commented with a mouthful, and the werewolf had to restrain himself from smiling, because the human had recovered his appetite and had praised Derek´s cooking to boot. It was pure instinct what make him preen at the comment and Derek tried his best not to show.

 

They made some small chatter before Stiles left, and Derek found the empty room hard to bare. He called Lydia and, after she practically shrilled with excitement, he decided to go with her just in case.

 

\--

 

Lydia was ecstatic, Derek could smell just how euphoric even if she tried to contain it. That in itself made him feel he made the right choice. Lydia deserved whatever shred of cheerfulness she could have.

 

Malia and Kira joined them, and Derek straight out laughed at the faces of the employees when Malia carried one of the new loveseats all by herself. Lydia raised one fire-red eyebrow to him but she was fighting a laugh too. Kira on the other hand hurried to help, trying in vain to make it less weird. Now there where two women lifting heavy couches to a moving van on the parking lot whiteout as much as sweat and the employees where probably reconsidering their exercise routine.

 

That was just the beginning.

 

By dinner time Derek had new shelves for his books, a carpet, one long couch, a loveseat, a kitchen table with four chairs, and a cabinet full stock with groceries and silverware.

 

“This place actually looks good.” Kira said and then blushed. “Not that it didn´t before. I mean, it wasn´t exactly screaming homie but, you know-"

 

“It´s ok,” he assured her.

 

When Stiles arrived at the loft, the girls and Derek where having Chinese food and watching a recorded episode of “the bachelor”. Yeah, Derek had a TV now, and Lydia made him swear he'd have cable and internet by the end of the week.

 

“Here, we saved you some.” Malia patted the couch next to her, but Stiles backpedaled a little.

 

“Are those new? Wait, you bought a carpet?”

 

Derek would never admit he felt like smirking when the newcomer ended up seating next to him instead of Malia, because that was stupid. Right? Completely childish.

 

The girls talked about their last couple of weeks as high schoolers and their expectations for their summer before college. Derek half listened in silence while the other part of his brain focused on Stiles, his movements, his facial expressions and comments about the topic at hand.

 

He was walking the girls to the parking lot when Lydia called him apart. Senseless, if you take in account the other two were perfectly able to listen to them.

 

“Whatever you are doing to him, it´s working” She started.

 

“But I´m not doing anything, it´s the med-“ He frowned as she interrupted.

 

“I’m talking, you are listening. Just let me say this once: you need to be 100% sure about this, because if you hurt him I won’t need a vision to know your days are over.”

 

For one moment there Derek saw Laura, in the set of Lydia´s mouth, the seriousness in her eyes, the tone and strong posture. _It was Laura_. Derek blinked in awe, and tried not to let his emotion show, but maybe he didn´t do a good job because Lydia stepped closer and hugged him.

 

It was brief but full of intent.

 

“Same goes for him, as soon as we have a to talk.” She said.

 

Derek watched them drive away, still confused about the exchange. He wondered what his sister would have said if she was still alive, and was surprised to find he wasn´t feeling guilty but rather nostalgic. It had been over two years since he talked to her for the last time but it felt like she had never left. Laura was still around caring for him, finding ways to lecture him throughout other people.

 

By the time Derek went back to Stiles, he was smiling.

 

\--

 

They made it a routine. Derek shared his bed with Stiles leaving as much space between them as comfortably possible, waked up earlier for a run and made breakfast.

 

The second morning though, Derek had a little episode of wolf-y awkwardness. Stiles was about to leave when he stepped closer to the young man and took a deep breath, scenting him. It wasn´t until he exhaled that he noticed how close of Stiles´ throat he was, and the air felt heavy around them even when they weren´t touching.

 

The human had the decency to ignore the whole thing after the initial shock wore off, only stuttered a goodbye and left Derek utterly disorientated, forcing his wolf to get a hold of itself.

Stiles already smelled like him, but that morning the human had taken a shower making the scent of Derek wash a little off of his skin and that wasn´t right for the werewolf.

 

Derek closed his eyes and tried to think clearly, but it was impossible, his den smelled as if Stiles belong there… _I just have to control myself._ It's just it had been so long since he'd shared his place with someone else. The subway where he trained Erika, Boyd and Isaac wasn´t exactly a home and the loft had just been a place he could crash on until recently.

The idea of having a place he could call _his_ , _ours_ , to share with someone else was tempting Derek to forget more important things. Like the fact Stiles was only 18, was leaving for college soon and he would never be interested in what Derek had to offer. Because what the werewolf was feeling towards the human was beyond a simple bond, he was starting to recognize Stiles as pack in a conscious level and that wasn´t even the worst part. No, the worst was the cravings that were waking up inside Derek.

 

Needs of intimacy, of contact…

 

\--

 

Stiles would talk a little more every passing day before running late for school. Derek then found ways to entertain himself until the afternoon, when Stiles came back and told him about his day.

 

He was glad the nightmares lasted less by Thursday, and by Friday Stiles seemed more rested, lighter.

That morning Derek was unable to stop himself. He stepped closer, and Stiles seemed to read what he wanted in his face because the young man tilted his head to the side, a blush creeping up his neck, and avoided Derek´s gaze for the three minutes it took to the wolf to be mildly satisfied. Again the human left without saying anything and Derek closed his eyes and breathed in deep the scent he left behind.

 

 _This is getting out of hand._ He growled when he felt the want hit him.

 

Derek decided to work out the extra energy, going to one of the additional rooms in the building he'd turned into an improvised gym. Thinking about Stiles neck and imagining how good it´d fell to press his lips into it, sink his teeth into the tender skin and stare until a mark showed in it had Derek punching the boxing bag so hard it flew across the room.

 

Derek then made pushups until he couldn´t feel anything else but the sourness of his muscles.

 

\--

 

Malia passed by in the afternoon, with some questions about female werewolf biology that Derek had never wanted to question himself about.

 

“I have this book my mother gave Laura when she was seventeen.” He searched through one of the few boxes he'd recovered from his apartment in New York. “It´s kind of a family legacy. I remember Laura adding notes to it,” he said with an almost smile. “You can have it.”

 

Malia´s eyes widened. “Are- Are you sure?”

 

“There is no one else I can give it to, and I don´t want it to be gathering dust when it can help a young were.” Malia took it with careful hands. “Besides, it belongs to you. Not only as a Hale, but as a pack member.”

 

The hug came out of nowhere and was so fast Derek was taken aback.

 

“You smell like Stiles” She murmured, stuffing her nose against his chest. His wolf howled internally. It was the first time in years his scent intertwined with another person´s. Spending six nights in a round sharing his personal space with Stiles had been intimate to say the least, and he felt good about it. _Even when I shouldn´t._

 

The human had no idea how many lines Derek had broken without asking permission, and his wolf couldn´t care less.

 

“Hey.” Stiles awkwardly waved from the door. “Uhm…”

 

Malia didn´t move, she just glanced back at Stiles sniffing the air. “You smell good.”

 

Derek felt his ears go red a little embarrassed about it, because he could smell his own happiness filling the room.

 

“I´m this close to force Deaton to make me a chemo signal inhibitor.” Stiles murmured, flushing red from his cheeks all the way down his neck.

 

Malia stepped away then. “Thank you,” she grinned. “By the way, Stiles, isn’t today your dad´s day off? I think I heard you say something about it during lunch.”

 

Stiles flailed his hands around, not looking at them. “Yeah well, he deserves a free night, you know? He finally asked Melissa out so I thought I'd give him the house for himself in case things… go well.”

 

“I see.” Malia put the book in his bag. “Well, in that case have a good night you two. See you tomorrow.”

 

Derek was confused. Could Stiles be enjoying spending time with him? Would he still accept to stay the night if Derek told him about what mixing scents meant for a werewolf? Or about how this week was turning things around for him?

 

They watched a movie and Stiles told Derek about his day and asked about Malia´s visit. Derek just nodded, grunted and answered with few words, too lost in the way Stiles´ mouth moved, lingering in the amber eyes that were recovering their light.

 

They had dinner and went to bed, and the domesticity of all that was what really got to him. How much of this had Derek craved since he lost Laura? Or even before that? Because the hope to find someone he could trust his life with was not new, Derek had been so broken after Paige that he was blind towards Kate´s and Jennifer´s undelaying intentions. He was driven by the need to be worthy of love. He even tried it with Breaden, but something was missing there. They were in good terms with the bounty hunter but Derek wondered why it only took a few nights with Stiles to fall for him like this when he had tried with Breaden for months.

 

He changed in the bathroom to prevent any chance for him to see more of Stiles´ skin than necessary.

 

Derek was so used to the smell of them in his sheets he would have to buy another mattress if he ever wanted to sleep well after Stiles stopped coming over. He then froze standing next to the bed, glaring at the sheets. _This is Stiles´s last night sleeping here, isn´t it?_

 

“Derek? Are you ok? You have been quiet tonight, more than usual.”

 

Stiles was holding the half empty bottle in his hands.

 

“I was thinking if I should pay a visit to the fairies again soon.” He wasn´t lying, it had been bothering Derek how fast said bottle was getting empty. He sat in the bed next to Stiles. “I don´t want to pressure you or anything, but have you talked to Scott or anyone about what happened to you?”

 

Stiles fidgeted with the bottle and shook his head.

 

“It might help.” It was a little hypocrite coming from him. He never talked about _his_ problems.

 

“I know… I probably should…” The human breathed.

 

“That´s what a pack is for, to share burdens.”

 

He was ready to go to sleep a little pissed at the thought that no matter how much better he and Stiles got along now he was still away from being someone the young man could share his true feeling with.

 

“Would _you_ like to know?” If it wasn´t for Derek’s enhanced hearing, he wouldn´t had been able to listen to Stiles small voice.

Derek rearranged his position to face him. “I´m here if you want to talk about it.”

 

“That is not what I asked.” Stiles kept his gaze on the bottle.

 

He thought about it for a moment, but being honest was best. “Yes, Stiles, I´d like to know.”

 

The young man shook his head.

 

“You don´t know what you are saying. It´s not…. I don´t think you´ll like it.”

 

Derek took the medicine off his hands and put it on the nightstand. “I´m listening”

 

After a few moments of Stiles heart going crazy he finally looked up to Derek.

 

“After the curse hit me, I woke up in my dad´s office. I panicked because I knew something was off, but then…” Derek´s eyes lingered in the way Stiles chewed at his bottom lip, probably choosing the right words to tell his story. “When my dad showed up he looked older and he wasn´t alone. There was a kid, Derek.” Stiles grasped tightly at the sheets. “I had a wedding ring on my finger and there where pictures on my dad´s desk. It was so confusing and yet…. For some reason I wasn´t scared of it. It felt… it felt right.”

 

Derek couldn´t hold himself anymore. He could see Stiles shake with contained sorrow, so he put his arms around the human´s shoulders and brought him closer. It was the first time he did that with Stiles completely awake.

 

“Cress told me that the darkness feeds on despair.” He rested his chin over Stiles' head and took a deep breath of that intoxicating scent. “The curse was meant to show you your own happiness just to rip it off, making it seem impossible to achieve now and-“

 

The wetness on his chest made him stop. _Stiles is crying_. Why was that so devastating to Derek?

 

He felt the pull of Stiles arms holding into him.

 

“It´s impossible, isn’t it?” Stiles said with a shaky voice. “It can never happen…?” The weak question at the end made the werewolf´s heart ache. Derek couldn´t keep denying how he felt, not with his whole body tingling under his skin. He needed to do something, anything to relieve Stiles from his curse.

 

He wished, not for the first time to have something to fight against, if the curse had a physical body then Derek could tear it apart, shred it to pieces or die trying. Fighting was something he did well, but this situation was frustrating in so many levels.

 

“Maybe it won’t be the same. May be you can´t reach that ideal end in the future but… but you can be happy here, Stiles. You have your dad, Scott, a pack that needs you.”

 

Stiles tightened his hold on Derek’s back.

 

“It´s not enough.” He murmured at first. “I´m sorry, but is not enough” His voice getting louder. “I´m sorry”

 

 _It´s getting dangerous._ Derek´s control was slipping away. He wanted to be able to show Stiles how important he was to him.

“You have nothing to feel sorry about.” He backed away enough to force the human to look at him. “Stiles, you deserve to be happy.” Derek used his thumb to rub away the tears. The young man shook his head in denial.

 

_Why are you so stubborn?_

Holding Stiles´ face with both hands, he approached slowly. Derek felt Stiles’ fingers dig into his back but the young man didn´t reject him, probably because of the shock. Derek fixed his eyes on Stiles´ wide ones until their lips touched. It was chaste and innocent, but enough to make his inside shift.

 

For one glorious second Derek thought maybe this was ok, maybe he would be allowed to try and make Stiles happy, but then he was being pushed away. He was a werewolf, if he wanted he could hold his stand, but Derek respected Stiles and obliged.

 

The moment he released him, Stiles jumped out of the bed and ran to the bathroom.

 

The pain was excruciating but he was willing to endure it. He was going to love and care for Stiles from afar, after all loving someone didn´t guarantee to be loved back.

 

He heard Stiles throwing up and his wolf moved on instinct. The door wasn´t closed, as if Stiles had hardly managed to get to the toilet. Derek was ready to apologize and leave the apartment if that made Stiles feel better, when he saw the black substance Stiles was throwing up.

 

“Hey, hey, let it out.” He patted the young man´s back and took away the physical pain. When the black veins faded he knew the human felt better. “I´m going to call Deaton-“ He half turned, but Stiles hand grasped his.

 

“Wait…” Stiles seemed to want to say something else, but there was no need. If Stiles wanted him near then he wouldn´t go anywhere.

 

“Don´t force yourself to talk.”

 

Derek helped him to stand up so Stiles could wash his face and mouth. The black substance wasn´t exactly liquid, it was hard to describe. Derek flushed the toilet and then carried Stiles back to bed. They didn´t talk. Stiles drank a little water and the moment Derek tugged him onto bed he fell asleep.

 

\--

 

Early in the morning Derek called Deaton, and as soon as the veterinarian arrived Derek explained what happened the night before.

 

“Have you slept at all, Derek?” Deaton asked. The werewolf shook his head.

 

 “Stiles is waking up, you should check on him. I´ll give you some privacy.”

 

Derek walked down to the improvised gym. He replaced the punching bag, gave it a few blows and then decided to do pull ups. It was easy to get lost in the movement of his body, mind shutting down any thought about Stiles and the kiss. He wasn´t even counting how many pulls he made, just waiting for the soreness to settle, and that´s why he was surprised when the sweet scent of Stiles flooded the room.

 

He let go of the iron and turned to face his fate. Whatever he was expecting was not what he found. Stiles was shamelessly ogling his shirtless torso and Derek felt his blood run hot.

 

“What´s the diagnosis?” He force himself to ask. His mouth was dry and his palms sweaty, and not for the exercise.

 

“I´m good, Derek.” Stiles looked into his eyes. “I´m better than good,” he grinned.

 

There was something different in Stiles' whole being, as if the gray aura of sorrow had lifted and he smelt… _Wait._ The werewolf inhaled deeply.

 

“You… you are happy.” And Derek felt as if he could finally breath in deep for the first time in ages. _God,_ was the werewolf feeling light, the worry about the human that had been slowly consuming his strength finally gone.

 

Stiles walked up to him, his amber round eyes glistening and scrutinizing Derek with a stunning-eager expression.

 

“It´s because of you, you know?” Stiles nervously admitted.

 

“What did I do?” He frowned. “I´ve had been nothing but uselessly watching you suffer without a clue of how to help. I´ve only felt this hopeless twice before and I hate it.” Derek was so relieved that the self-preservation walls around his heart had fallen, and he couldn´t help but being honest.

 

They stayed silent while he observed Stiles´ face slowly changing when realization draw in.

 

“True love´s kiss” Stiles gasped while his cheeks blushed red. “That´s what broke the curse. Deaton told me but… I couldn’t believe it.”

 

Derek took a step back. “I’m sorry”

 

Long fingers closed around his forearm. “Why are you apologizing?”

 

 _Really, he was asking that?_ Derek didn’t dare to answer. It wasn’t Stiles fault he couldn’t love him.

 

The human cornered him against one of the gym´s wall.

 

“What could make you…? Is this about last night? Do you think I-?” Stiles couldn´t even finish a sentence.

 

The hand around Derek tightened and another one grasped at his jaw, forcing him to gaze up. Stiles looked unbelievably beautiful now that his face had regained that glow Derek liked so much.

 

“Didn´t you listen to what I said?” Stiles stepped closer until their bodies touched, chest against chest. “True love´s kiss.”

 

This time Derek did listen, still not really believing it.

 

He moved slowly, placing his hands on Stiles' hips looking for any sign that he was misinterpreting this. Stiles' breath became shallow, his heart racing and deafening Derek´s ears, his smell tainting the air with arousal.

 

Derek pressed his lips softly to the corner of Stiles lips, and felt him shiver under his touch. Stiles mouth opened involuntarily when a moan escaped him and Derek took the chance to slip his tongue inside. His knees buckled but thankfully the wall grounded him.

 

Stiles mouth was heavenly and the noises the human made where encouraging Derek to do more. The kiss deepened and intensified. Derek enclosed Stiles in his arms while the young man place a thigh between his legs and thread his fingers in Derek’s hair. Again, Derek wasn´t one to think or talk but to _act_ and he was going to show Stiles just how into this he was.

 

In a swift move he shifted them and pinned Stiles against the wall, traced his hands down to Stiles thighs and lifted him up so the young man could wrap his legs around Derek´s waist.

“Oh, God, please tell me I´m not dreaming.” Stiles rocked his hips and gasped when he met Derek´s hard on.

 

 _No, not dreaming_ he wanted to say but ended up growling in satisfaction when he felt he wasn´t the only one completely on board with this.

 

Stiles was panting, tilting his head to the side exposing his long desirable neck to Derek, and his wolf took control. He bit down hard with human teeth, making sure to mark that spot as his. Stiles thrust frantically against him, and Derek gloated for being able to drive Stiles to that state. He soothed the red skin with his tongue and then kissed a trail up to Stiles' mouth.

 

This was too much for him, the scent of Stiles was intoxicating and his body was being drive out of control. They kissed, clinging at each other as if the world could end if they stopped. Blunt human nails sunk down on his back inciting for more, more, _more_ ….

 

It was messy and desperate and perfect. Derek came on his pants like a fucking teenager but was pleased to see he wasn´t the only one. Stiles body shook and trembled on his arms when he came, all the time their mouths still pressed together.

 

Their kisses changed to lazy and soft. Derek could stay like that forever.

 

Stiles hand went up to Derek´s hair again and scratched his scalp, making the wolf purr with joy. “Who would have thought the big bad wolf would fall for the weak petty human.”

 

“There is nothing petty about you, Stiles, and everyone has weak spots.” Derek couldn´t manage to feel anything but warm and fuzzy all over. He was happy, so happy.

 

A huge smile extended on Stiles´ face, expression still bewildered. “It _was_ true loves kiss,” the young man said in a light tone, deep red spreading on his cheeks.

 

Derek kissed him sweet and firmly. “It still is.”

 

The moment was perfect, so of course Stiles had to go and break it.

 

“Take me back to your den big bad wolf and let’s do puppies all weekend long.” Derek cringed and shook his head, but still they laughed.

 

_Stiles and his big mouth._

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed it! 
> 
> Don´t forget to visit Jana: spice-and-raging-kittens.tumblr.com
> 
> Keep spreading the Sterek Love :)


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